Discovering Reaction Mechanisms with Transition Path Sampling-Based Active Learning of Machine-Learned Potentials

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Lal, Ashique, Breebaart, Rik S., Bolhuis, Peter G., Meijer, Evert Jan
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Lal, Ashique
Breebaart, Rik S.
Bolhuis, Peter G.
Meijer, Evert Jan
author_facet Lal, Ashique
Breebaart, Rik S.
Bolhuis, Peter G.
Meijer, Evert Jan
contents Machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLPs) provide near density functional theory (DFT) accuracy at reduced computational cost, but their reliability depends on representative training data and often deteriorates in transition-state regions governing rare events. We introduce an active-learning framework in which Transition Path Sampling (TPS) serves as a targeted data-generation engine for constructing MLPs accurate in barrier regions. TPS generates ensembles of unbiased reactive trajectories, and a committee-based uncertainty estimate identifies configurations for selective DFT labeling and retraining. Iterating this cycle systematically refines the potential energy surface in dynamically relevant regions, without the need of prior knowledge of the mechanism. Applied to electrochemical CO$_2$ reduction to CO on copper in explicit water, the approach removes nonphysical artifacts present in early models, achieves near-DFT energy and force accuracy, and enables stable long-time sampling of reactive pathways. Extended TPS simulations reveal multiple dynamically accessible protonation mechanisms. This work establishes TPS as an efficient and principled active-learning strategy for reactive molecular simulations at electrochemical interfaces.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_03737
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Discovering Reaction Mechanisms with Transition Path Sampling-Based Active Learning of Machine-Learned Potentials
Lal, Ashique
Breebaart, Rik S.
Bolhuis, Peter G.
Meijer, Evert Jan
Chemical Physics
Computational Physics
Machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLPs) provide near density functional theory (DFT) accuracy at reduced computational cost, but their reliability depends on representative training data and often deteriorates in transition-state regions governing rare events. We introduce an active-learning framework in which Transition Path Sampling (TPS) serves as a targeted data-generation engine for constructing MLPs accurate in barrier regions. TPS generates ensembles of unbiased reactive trajectories, and a committee-based uncertainty estimate identifies configurations for selective DFT labeling and retraining. Iterating this cycle systematically refines the potential energy surface in dynamically relevant regions, without the need of prior knowledge of the mechanism. Applied to electrochemical CO$_2$ reduction to CO on copper in explicit water, the approach removes nonphysical artifacts present in early models, achieves near-DFT energy and force accuracy, and enables stable long-time sampling of reactive pathways. Extended TPS simulations reveal multiple dynamically accessible protonation mechanisms. This work establishes TPS as an efficient and principled active-learning strategy for reactive molecular simulations at electrochemical interfaces.
title Discovering Reaction Mechanisms with Transition Path Sampling-Based Active Learning of Machine-Learned Potentials
topic Chemical Physics
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.03737